


Fly Boy in the Lynx's Heart

by KaworuMakino



Series: Eiji Thirst Week 2020 [8]
Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:54:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25862398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaworuMakino/pseuds/KaworuMakino
Summary: Day 9 - jock Eiji. Ibe shows Ash pictures of Eiji's pole vaulting days for the first time.
Relationships: Ash Lynx/Okumura Eiji
Series: Eiji Thirst Week 2020 [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1876594
Comments: 10
Kudos: 157
Collections: Eiji Thirst Week 2020





	Fly Boy in the Lynx's Heart

_Bzzzzzzt!_

Ash looked over from the computer screen to see his cell phone vibrating on the far side of the desk. He reached over and grabbed it, tapping the power button to see what notification popped up.

It was a group message to him and Eiji from Ibe. Ash swiped and unlocked the screen to read the full thing. 

_Is it okay if I come over early? One of my meetings got cancelled and I have nothing else to do in town. ___

__Ash typed, or rather pressed, out a quick response:_ _

_Sure, come on over._

__He then looked back to the computer screen. He'd been working on a manuscript for the last three hours and was more than ready for the excuse to take a break. He saved, then cautiously saved again, and then a third time, before exiting out of the program and booting the computer down._ _

__Unsure how long Ibe would take to arrive, he opted just to change into something a little less sloppy looking and began heating up some tea. Peppermint. Did Ibe like peppermint? Ash thought he remembered that being the case, but his memory for people's favorite flavors of leaves was nowhere near as encyclopedic as Eiji's._ _

__Eiji was still at work at the flower shop and wouldn't get off for another hour or so. Ash wouldn't have to entertain Ibe alone for long, not that he minded. He just couldn't wait for Eiji to walk through the front door so he could run up, embrace him, and tussle his hair._ _

__Although, if company would already be over, he couldn't exactly commit such school kid in love antics. Not without some embarrassment and dampening his reputation as the rough and tough former gangbanger._ _

__Maybe he would tease Eiji in front of their company after all. He didn't care about being tough anymore. He tried not to, anyway. And he could already picture how cute Eiji would look blushing, half-protesting because his old teacher would see, but not actually wanting Ash to let go._ _

__That settled it. He was _so_ gonna get lovey-dovey with Eiji in front of Ibe. Why should he ruin his fun? He smirked as the tea looked just about ready, and soon there was a knock on the door. _ _

__Ash went to open it and, as expected, Ibe was standing in the doorway in work clothes and with a small backpack strewn over his shoulder._ _

__"Hello, Ash," he said._ _

__"Come in and sit," Ash replied. "Eiji is still at work but I made tea."_ _

__"Oh? Eiji is teaching you?" Ibe asked, shuffling his shoes off and following the younger man into the living room._ _

__"I'm not so removed from the concept of a normal life that I don't know how to make tea," Ash said, grabbing the kettle and two cups from the kitchen. They had been wedding presents from Eiji's mother. "But yes," he smirked, setting them down on the coffee table and taking a seat across from Ibe. "He is."_ _

__"That's one of the only things that hasn't changed about him in all these years," Ibe said. "He still loves his tea."_ _

__Ash's eyes lit up. He always liked hearing about Eiji's old youth stories. "Tell me more. I need material to tease him with."_ _

__"You and I both know you just want to picture how cute Eiji's always been," Ibe laughed, then took a gulp from his cup. "Mmm, peppermint. Thank you."_ _

__Ash had remembered correctly. He was glad, even as he averted his eyes from Ibe's gaze. "I don't know what you're talking about."_ _

__"Marriage really does make people grow more similar," Ibe noted. "You pout like him now too."_ _

__"Oh shut up," Ash said._ _

__"I can understand why though," Ibe said. "Eiji always has had an arresting presence."_ _

__Ash was surprised. As much as he agreed personally, he figured Ibe would have known him more as a shy, innocent kid. "How did you meet anyway?"_ _

__"Eiji never told you?"_ _

__Ash shook his head._ _

__"He was my subject. My muse even, for a while. I saw one of his track meets on television and was instantly entranced. It was some sort of regional or final competition, I think. That was the first time I saw Eiji fly."_ _

__Ash flashed back to the day he first met Eiji, when the older boy had flung himself over a tall fence go find help. He had hung suspended in air for a moment, ridiculously high up as if he had forged some pact with the sky itself._ _

__"Tell me more," Ash said earnestly._ _

__Ibe smiled. "Pole vaulting used to be that boy's life, and he was good at it. Excellent, really. There was only one rival he ever struggled to beat, but even that boy didn't have what Eiji had. Eiji looked so graceful, at home defying gravity. There was something in his face that drew me to him. I wanted to know what ran through that fly boy in the sky's mind."_ _

__"Did you ever find out?" Ash asked._ _

__"Not really," Ibe said. "Whatever it was, Eiji was fully devoted. I went to as many of his practices as I could for a while, watching, taking photos, and getting to know him. He was shy, sweet and...powerful, in a way that never felt threatening."_ _

__Ash nodded. "I wish I could have seen it."_ _

__Ibe blinked. "You can."_ _

__He then started fumbling his hand through a pocket in the bag he'd set to his side. After a few moments he pulled out a flash drive._ _

__"I always keep copies of all my old work saved on these," he said. "You never know when there might be a new use for it, or when something might happen to an old backup."_ _

__After the two finished their tea they headed into the office and Ash motioned for Ibe to take a seat at the desk. He booted up the computer and Ash leaned over just long enough to input the password._ _

__"Did I just see your fingers type the E key? And the I, then the J, then..."_ _

__"Shut up," Ash grumbled._ _

__Ibe just laughed and stuck the flash drive in one of the ports. Once it sinked up he started browsing through files._ _

__"I suppose I'm not surprised Eiji never showed you any of these. Even though there was a whole exhibition of them," Ibe said._ _

__Ash blinked. "What?"_ _

__"I did a whole show of just pictures of him. I got some of the best reception for my work to date. Once I pull them up, you'll understand why."_ _

__"Do you..." Ash was curious, but felt a tinge of worry as well. "Do you think he avoided telling me for some reason? I know he got injured, and..."_ _

__Ibe shook his head. "No. There would have been a time when the memory was too painful for him. That pain was the whole reason I hired him and brought him to America with me. But he changed over there. Found a new way to live, something to be devoted to."_ _

__Ash didn't know what to say. Couldn't speak. Something to be devoted to..._ _

__Ibe looked over his shoulder at Ash and laughed. "What are you all agape for? You know the boy loves you. Now look at these."_ _

__Ibe clicked on the first icon of many in a folder and began to scroll his way through. There were close-up shots and ones from farther away. All taken with a sense of awe, Ash could tell. The same awe he felt in his chest as the images flashed in rapid succession before his eyes._ _

__There was Eiji, younger but with the same innocent eyes and adorable, slightly pudgy face. His hair was longer and even shaggier than it had been when they first met._ _

__"Those bangs were out of control," Ibe mused, continuing to move from picture to picture._ _

__Some shots were full body profiles, with Eiji standing resolute in the moments before flinging himself upward. His uniform hung off him loosely like an angel's robes, and the shorts...Jesus, they were short._ _

__"It's a good thing he was always so focused," Ibe said. "It's hard to picture Eiji wearing anything like this now without stammering and feeling self-conscious."_ _

___He was adorable,_ Ash thought. More pictures flashed, some capturing just Eiji's face, expressions of shyness from noticing the camera, then calm resolve, looking up at the pole in front of him. _ _

__Then came the miracle shots. The footage of Fly Boy in the sky, of gravity being mocked. Eiji's body blending into air and yet commanding it._ _

__Ash gulped. Were those tears he felt running down his face? "He's beautiful."_ _

__Ibe nodded, smiling. Ash was jealous that the older man had gotten to know Eiji so many years earlier than he had. Eiji really couldn't get home soon enough, Ash wanted to wrap his arms around him, chest against chest, company be damned._ _

__"Ibe...could you save copies of those to the computer?"_ _

__"Already done," Ibe smiled, closing the folder and removing his flash drive. "So where did you two want to go to dinner tonight? Max should hopefully get here around five."_ _

__"Wherever you two want is fine," Ash said, smiling. The two men headed back to the living room and kept making small talk until they heard Eiji open the front door. Ash rushed up to him and pressed their bodies together tightly, lifting Eiji up and spinning him around in a circle._ _

__"Ash!" Eiji squeaked. "Why?!"_ _

__"I'm just happy to see you," Ash said, putting Eiji down and leaning in for a kiss._ _

__Eiji kissed back warmly. When the two pulled apart he looked over to see Ibe sitting on the living room floor._ _

__"Yo!"_ _

__"I... I... Ibe-san!" Eiji gulped. "I'm sorry, I, Ash, why?!"_ _

__Ash and Ibe both laughed. They could tell Eiji didn't actually regret it. Ash pressed himself close up against his boyfriend again and gave him a firm squeeze, pressing their noses together softly._ _

__"I just missed you is all."_ _

__Eiji blushed. "Ash," he said softly, tucking his head into the blonde's shoulder before pulling back. "Ibe-san! I will make you some tea!"_ _

__"Ash already did, thank you."_ _

__Eiji beamed. "I am teaching him!"_ _

__"He was embarassed to say as much, but yeah," Ibe chuckled._ _

__Ash started to pout again but restrained himself, not wanting Ibe to go on about how similar marriage had made them again. As he watched the other two talk and laugh, Ash thought of how glad he was to be there, to have his life on the ground with Eiji. But he also thought of images he'd already committed to memory, of a beautiful fly boy in the sky._ _


End file.
